Animal-trap.



E. T. MARSH.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8. m3.

1,138,132. Patented May 4, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES [NVENTORZ ZWW E. T. MARSH.

ANIMAL' TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8. 1913.

1,138,132, Patented May 4, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WITNESSES INVENTOR a; rains, or nnnenn, new roan" santat on of Letteiaretent. '1 Pat nted May a, 1915.

mathema c ans-3 a, 1915;: *asa a... 7,613.1

To all it may cancer/z Be it known thaaL'Eawm T. Mines, a citizen of theUnited States, at Bergen, in the countybf Gene'see andState of New York,have Vented new and useful im ovements infinimal 'lraps, of which therenewing is a specification. This invention 'relates tonew and usefulanimal traps and is palftidiflarly as a mouseor rat trapw Theinventionconsists the novel feaeonibifiatibfi an 1211' rangement ofparts illustrated in the draw ings and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

In the accompanying drawingsz-Figure 1 is a side elevation, illustratingthe application of the device to an ordinary fruit jar. Fig. 2 is asimilar view, with the trap and a portion ofthe fruit jar shown insection. Fig. 3 is a front end view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a verticaltransverse section, taken on line l-4 of Fig.2, looking toward thetrapdoor. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the application of the trapto a tin can, a portion of which is shown in section. Fig. 6 is atransverse sectional view. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of thebait holder, and Fig. 8 a detail pe ive view of one oft-he wire keepersor clamps used in holding the trap in place when applied to a tin can.

In practice,

the trap is preferably applied to the ordinary fruit jar such as foun inevery household, but may be applied to a tin can, as shown in Figs. 5and 6. Or by cutting a hole in a wooden boxor door or partition to atight room, the device may be held in place by small thumb screws.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, which show the application of the trapto an ordinary fruit jar, 1 indicates the fruit jar and 2 the trap whichis inserted in the mouth of the jar, as shown, and is held in place bythe metal screw rim 3 of the jar top, it being understood that the glasstop is left off. The trap may be stamped out of thin sheet metal bysuitable dies and made very rapidly and cheaplyI The trap comprises,specifically, a hollow casing 4 open at both ends, which is arrangedlongitudinally in the mouth of the fruit jar and gradually tapers insize from its outer to 'ts inner end. As shown, the outer end 5 of thecasing is circular in gens eral o tline, terminating ina square portion6 at the inner end thereof.

A vertically arranged door 7 is mounted inthe inner end f the trapcasing, being hlnged at its upper end to the bearing rod 8, extendingtransver'ely through oppo -'te side walls 9 of the square inner endportion of the ""sing. The door is'formed of reticula material ofsuitable mesh and is prov ded at its lower end with a continuous semesof downwardly projecting inwardly curved 10. There is to be sufficientspace beneath the lower end of the door to permit the animal to seethrough or pass its head or a portion of its body through in an efiortto reach the bait, but not sufiicient space to allow the animal to passin and out of the trap.

The numeral 11 indicates the bait holder which is made of wire mesh orother suitable material and may .be opened at its top, as shown in Fig.7 to provide for inserting the bait. The bait is supported in the holderor bait box in front of the inner end of the casing of the trap and thebait box or holder is suspended in place by the arm 12, hinged at itsupper end to the bearing plate or bracket 13, screwed or otherwiseattached to the top of the casing.

The trap casing is provided at its front or outer end with an annularflange 14 which is clamped between the outer edge of the mouth of thefruit jar and the rim or flange 15 of the rim of the jar top.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the trap is shown applied toan ordinary tin can, being inserted through an opening 16 in the top ofthe can with its rim engaging the outer edge of the top. The trap isheld in place by the wire clamps or keepers 17, the innerright-singularly bent porengage the inner edge of the top of the can, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6 and the outer right-angularly bent portions 19'of which engage the outer edge of the flange of the trap casing.

In practice, when the mouse, rat or other animal inserts its head or aportion of its body under the door 7 in an efiort to reach the bait andthen attempts to escape from the trap the teeth 10 engage the animal andthe more the mouse or rat attempts to escape the tighter and moresecurely the teeth engage and hold the animal.

Whil the trap is more particularl detions 18 of which signed for use inconnection with fruit jars or tin cans, as previously explained, bycutting an opening in a wooden box or door or partition to a tight room,the device may be held in place by small thumb screws.

Fr'omthe foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings itis thought that the construction and many advantages of-my inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportions and minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principles orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined in theappended 0 mm.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

I an arm pivotally positioned from the inner end of said tubular memberin alinement with the entrance of the trap.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN T. MARSH. Witnesses:

GRACE M. ROWE, ESTHER E. MARSH.

